Wichita Orthodox Community Set to Open Christ the Savior Academy

WICHITA, Kansas. --“This will affect our children for eternity. It is for eternity,” His Grace Bishop Basil told the Orthodox community as they prepared to investigate the formation of an Orthodox classical school in Wichita.

Now, two years later, the school is on track to open its doors in the fall of 2012. Enrollment has begun, and the board of directors for Christ the Savior Academy, Inc., is accepting applications for the headmaster and teacher positions. The board plans to start the school small with Prekindergarten through second grade. With God as its guide, the school hopes to grow a grade a year until it reaches fifth grade. (For more information, visit the website.)

Preparation for an Orthodox parochial school was initiated when St. George Cathedral approved construction of an educational wing addition to the Cathedral facilities. The addition was designed with a school in mind.In 2009, a group of parents began to seriously pursue bringing this vision to fruition. They were not satisfied with the educational options available for their children, and found that many other parents agreed. These Orthodox parents desired an education that would not only feed the mind, but nourish the soul. Working with local clergy and lay leaders, they formed a steering committee to develop a plan for such a school, and by mid-2011, the committee had completed a strategic plan.

Christ the Savior Academy is part of an overall holistic Orthodox presence in Wichita, which is already home to a variety of Orthodox institutions, such as the Diocesan Cathedral and Chancery, three parishes, the Farah Foundation, The Treehouse social service agency, and renowned Eighth Day Bookstore. An Orthodox school will further advance the Church’s witness within the city.

“This is the most important project our Wichita community has undertaken in a decade,” His Grace Bishop Basil said. “It will affect our children for eternity, transform our churches by raising up clergy and lay people in the faith, and it will be a precious gift to our community. Wichita could become a beacon on the hill, proclaiming this is what Orthodoxy in America should look like.”